"Endowed chairs are a favorite way for most symphony orchestras to financially support themselves. It is a way to have names remembered. There is only one endowed chair for the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, and I am hoping that this one is an inducement for other people to honor not only symphony members but prominent members of the board or others in the music community.
"Flagstaff has a much better symphony than a community this size should have. This symphony is the equivalent to what you find in much larger cities. Nadene played in it for 39 years. I think historical context is important for current musicians and concert goers.
"The endowed chair exists as a memorial that is better than a gravestone or plaque because it appears in a place important to the person honored. Also, I think the idea of having a permanent impact as opposed to saying I am supporting this concert this year appeals to a lot of people – the permanent versus the temporary effect. Someone's name lives on attached to something they loved."
–Kenneth Bean speaking about the Nadene Bean Endowed Cello Chair, named after his wife Nadene, a cellist with the FSO for 39 years. She was principal cellist for 16 of those years. Nadene also taught in the NAU School of Music and was the founding director of the NAU Preparatory School of Music.